how to measure marketing

Measuring What Matters for Effective B2B Marketing

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If you’re running a business, you’ve probably asked yourself: Are we doing the right marketing? Not just busy work, not vanity stats—but the kind of marketing that reliably leads to revenue, referrals, and long-term clients.

The truth is, most small business owners aren’t sure how well their marketing is working. They might be tracking ad clicks, social likes, or even page visits. But what about lead quality? Sales conversions? Client lifetime value?

You can have the best marketing plan in the world, but without a way to tie your marketing activities back to the KPIs that matter for you, marketing becomes guesswork. And that is just frustrating.

I’m going to break down for you how to measure your marketing in a way that’s clear, aligned with your business goals, and built to help you achieve predictable growth for the long term.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

  • What “marketing effectiveness” actually means in a B2B setting
  • The most useful metrics (and how to pick the right ones)
  • How to connect your marketing data to revenue, retention, and referrals

By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of how to track your marketing like a pro—and how to make decisions with confidence.

What Is Marketing Effectiveness, Really?

Let’s strip it down to the essentials: marketing effectiveness is the ability to produce real business outcomes from your marketing efforts. It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing what works.

For B2B business owners, that means understanding which marketing actions lead to actual results: new leads, better clients, stronger revenue, and more referrals. It’s not just about visibility. It’s about traction.

When your marketing is effective, you’re not chasing activity. You’re building momentum.

Why does this matter? Because you don’t have the luxury of wasting time or budget. Every dollar spent on marketing needs to show signs of contributing to business growth. Not in theory—in measurable ways.

Effective marketing aligns with your business goals. It supports your sales process, nurtures relationships, and creates demand with the right people at the right time. It lets you plan with confidence, not just hope.

The Core Metrics That Matter

Now let’s talk about what to track. These aren’t just numbers—they’re indicators of what’s working and where to improve:

  • Return on Investment (ROI)
    This is the big one. It tells you whether your marketing spend is delivering value. Not just clicks, but clients.
  • Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
    How much does it cost to land a new client? If this number is climbing and conversions aren’t, your strategy needs a second look.
  • Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
    It’s not just about the first sale. This metric helps you understand how much long-term value each client brings to your business.
  • Lead Quality and Conversion Rate
    Not all leads are created equal. The true measure of effectiveness is how many of them become good clients—and how quickly.
  • Brand Awareness (measured smartly)
    Yes, you need to be known. But being known by the right audience is what counts. Tools like branded search volume or direct traffic can give you clues here.

Start with the End in Mind: Setting the Right Marketing Objectives

Before you can measure the success of your marketing, you need to define what success actually looks like. That may sound obvious, but many businesses skip this step—or set vague goals that don’t tie back to what really matters.

Your marketing objectives should always support your bigger business aims. If your goal is to increase revenue from consulting services, your marketing shouldn’t just chase clicks. It should be attracting the right type of leads and helping convert them into SQLs and long-term clients.

If growth means expanding into a new market, your marketing needs to raise awareness, build credibility, and generate interest from that specific segment. Every effort should earn its place by moving the business forward.

This can happen when planning happens in a vacuum. Content and social media marketing may be important parts of your marketing mix, so your marketing team may set a goal of increasing followers by 10,000 and blog subscriptions by 40%. Sounds reasonable in a silo. But if you have a business goal of increasing revenue from high-margin service packages by 25%, this goal has no direct alignment. You may be spending money growing an audience that isn’t contributing to your larger goal. Even succeeding with the marketing goal may not help you succeed with the business goal.

This is about alignment. Marketing that’s out of step with business goals isn’t just inefficient—it’s expensive. But by ensuring your objectives are aligned, you stand a better chance of keeping your efforts focused on the right activities.

Know What to Watch: Picking the Right KPIs for B2B Marketing

Once your goals are in place, the next step is choosing the right markers to track your progress. Key performance indicators (KPIs) aren’t just numbers—they’re signals. They tell you whether your marketing is moving in the right direction or needs a course correction.

For B2B companies, the best KPIs focus on outcomes that connect to revenue and client value, not just activity. Here’s a breakdown of metrics worth tracking:

  • Lead Conversion Rate
    What percentage of prospects actually become clients? This number shows how well your content, website, and follow-up processes are working.
  • Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
    How much value does a client bring over the entire relationship? This helps you decide how much you can afford to spend on acquiring similar clients.
  • Marketing-Originated Pipeline
    What portion of your sales pipeline comes directly from marketing efforts? This shows how well your campaigns are feeding your sales team.
  • Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs)
    Are you sending the right kind of leads to your team? Volume is nice, but quality is what makes the difference.
  • Email Engagement
    Open rates and click-throughs can help you gauge interest and refine your messaging.
  • Website Behavior
    Time spent on key pages, contact form submissions, and return visits all show whether people are serious or just browsing.

The Danger Of Getting Lost In The Weeds

Now, there are going to be other campaign-specific activity metrics that you watch. They are things like engagement rates on social media, or page views on your website.

These can be useful for the marketers in the trenches to know how specific campaigns performed, but they pose a danger to your marketing strategy if they get confused for goals.

Let me explain.

If you are running a LinkedIn campaign to increase brand awareness and lead generation from a target audience, your team is probably closely watching likes, comments, and shares. That’s good, it tells them how successful their last post was. But here’s the problem. If they start to optimize for those metrics and lose sight of SQLs or Lead Conversion Rates, they may be driving more activity from the wrong people.

When the metric becomes the goal it usually means you’ve gone offtrack.

Tools to Track Without the Tech Headaches

You don’t need an enterprise setup to track marketing performance. What matters most is having tools that fit your size, your goals, and your ability to act.

Here are some reliable options to get started:

  • Google Analytics: A must-have for tracking traffic sources, on-page behavior, and top-performing content.
  • CRM Platforms: Tools like HubSpot, Zoho, or ActiveCampaign allow you to track lead activity, email performance, and deal progress.
  • Call Tracking Tools: If phone calls are part of your sales process, platforms like CallRail can help you connect those calls back to campaigns.
  • Custom Dashboards: Google Looker Studio or similar platforms let you bring data together in one place so you can actually make decisions based on it.

The goal isn’t to track everything—it’s to track the right things. A handful of focused KPIs will tell you more about your growth than a dashboard full of noise.

From Data to Decisions: Building a Smarter Measurement System

Once you’ve picked your KPIs, the next step is figuring out how to track, interpret, and act on them. This is where a lot of B2B businesses hit a wall—not because they don’t care about the numbers, but because they’re overwhelmed by them.

Let’s make it easier.

Get the Right Data, Not Just More Data

Effective measurement starts with intentional data collection. Focus on sources that connect directly to your key marketing activities—your website, email campaigns, advertising, and sales interactions.

Here’s how to keep it clean and useful:

  • Use tracking links (UTMs) to pinpoint where traffic and leads are coming from.
  • Set up conversion goals inside your analytics platform for actions that matter—form fills, calendar bookings, downloads.
  • Regularly sync your CRM and email platform so lead activity is visible from the first click to the final sale.

The goal here is clarity. If your team or agency can’t explain what the numbers mean to your business goals, something needs fixing.

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Not every lead comes from a single click or campaign. Often, someone finds you through a referral, reads a blog, sees a few emails, and only then decides to reach out. That’s why attribution modeling matters.

There are a few common approaches:

  • First-touch: Gives all credit to the first source a lead came through (great for awareness metrics).
  • Last-touch: Assigns value to the final interaction before a conversion (useful for optimizing calls-to-action).
  • Linear: Spreads value evenly across all interactions.
  • Position-based: Prioritizes the first and last touches while still giving some weight to the middle steps.

Choose a model that matches your sales cycle. If you have a long buying process, linear or position-based will tell a more accurate story.

Don’t Set It and Forget It

Markets shift. Buyer behavior evolves. What worked six months ago might be falling flat today. That’s why measurement isn’t a once-a-quarter task—it’s a habit.

Build regular reviews into your routine:

  • Run monthly performance reviews to look for trends.
  • Compare quarter-over-quarter growth to spot patterns.
  • Adjust your campaigns, messaging, or targeting based on what the numbers reveal.

Effective marketing isn’t about hitting a home run every time. It’s about tracking what works, learning from what doesn’t, and making steady, smart adjustments over time.

Getting Smarter: How Data Tools Can Help You Stay Ahead

Once you’ve nailed down the fundamentals of measuring marketing performance, the next step is to explore tools that can help you think ahead—not just react.

This is where advanced analytics and smart technology come in. They’re not about replacing your judgment—they’re about giving you better information to make sharper calls.

Spotting What’s Next with Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics helps you look beyond what’s happening right now. Instead of only seeing how a campaign performed, you can use historical data to spot patterns and forecast what’s likely to happen next.

Here’s how B2B companies are using it:

  • Identifying which types of leads are most likely to convert
  • Forecasting future revenue based on lead volume and sales behavior
  • Spotting churn risks before they become problems

By using models that factor in past outcomes and real-time behavior, you get early signals about which channels, messages, or segments are worth doubling down on—and which ones may be losing steam.

How AI Is Changing the Game

Artificial intelligence has become a behind-the-scenes partner for many marketing teams. You may already be using it without realizing it—recommendation engines in email platforms, lead scoring tools, even chatbots that qualify visitors on your site.

But AI’s impact goes deeper when it’s tied to measurement:

  • Lead Scoring: AI can analyze hundreds of signals to rank leads based on their likelihood to convert.
  • Personalization: Tools can adjust messaging or offers based on user behavior—boosting engagement without adding workload.
  • Attribution Support: Some platforms use machine learning to assign value across multiple touchpoints more accurately than manual models.

Final Thoughts: Measure What Moves the Needle

Your marketing shouldn’t be guesswork. The impact it’s having on your business shouldn’t be a black hole of uncertainty. The way to fix that is to measure the right things the right way. That’s how you make better decisions, spend smarter, and grow with purpose.

From setting aligned goals and choosing the right KPIs, to applying attribution models and exploring predictive analytics, everything we’ve covered leads to one thing: clarity.

When you track the right things the right way, marketing shifts from a cost center to a growth engine.

So, if you’ve been running campaigns and hoping for the best—or if you’re just not sure what’s working and what’s not—it’s time to take control.

What are you tracking right now? What’s still unclear? I’d love to hear how you’re measuring your own marketing performance—or where you feel stuck.

Book a consultation and let’s talk about where you are, what you need, and how we can help you build marketing that works.

tired business man frustrated at trying to create a marketing budget

How To Create A Marketing Budget: A Comprehensive Guide for 2025

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Does creating your marketing budget feel more like guesswork than strategy?

As a business leader, you know how critical marketing is to growth. But when it comes to planning your marketing budget, it can feel like you’re throwing darts in the dark—hoping to hit the right target.

Overspending on ineffective tactics drains resources. Underspending leaves opportunities on the table. And proving ROI to stakeholders? It’s an ongoing struggle and the stakes can be high.

The good news? You don’t have to face these challenges alone. This guide provides a step-by-step framework to turn your marketing budget into a strategic powerhouse. By aligning your spending with business goals, focusing on key metrics, and allowing room for innovation, you’ll pave the way for predictable growth—and peace of mind.

Understanding the Foundations of Marketing Budgets

Before we get into the “how tos” and “what not to dos” let’s take a moment and get on the same page about marketing budgets.

A marketing budget is more than just numbers on a spreadsheet—it’s a financial plan that drives growth by aligning resources with strategic objectives.

If you’re thinking about budgeting without having a detailed marketing strategy in place stop now. Go back a step and create your marketing strategy. One that’s aligned to your business goals. If you don’t, you risk spending money on random tactics without any real sense of whether these are the right tactics.

Now, if you do have a marketing strategy, remember how when you built it you (hopefully) started with your business goals? When you start to build your marketing budget, start with your marketing goals in the same way. These will tell you where you need to invest.

We’ll talk more about allocation in a moment, but what about how much you should invest? How big is that pie?

Calculating Your Marketing Budget: Methods and Considerations

One common question I get is, ‘how much should I be spending on marketing?’ The short answer is that it depends. And I know most people hate that, but it really does. It depends on what you’re trying to achieve, what your position in the market is, what kind of a return you are expecting. There are so many variables it’s difficult to create a one-size-fits-all approach.

But here are four common approaches to calculating a marketing budget that you can consider:

  • Percentage of Revenue: You’ll have to do some research on your own industry, but a common rule of thumb is to spend 5-10% of annual revenue on marketing.
  • Competitive Parity: Research competitors’ marketing spends to ensure you remain competitive. This approach will help you ensure competitors don’t outspend you, but it also assumes competitors have the same objectives as you and doesn’t account for differences in efficiencies.
  • Objective-Based Budgeting: Determine costs based on specific goals, such as acquiring X number of leads or launching a new product. This keeps organizations focused on key goals. The disadvantage is that it can be time consuming and lead to budgets that aren’t affordable
  • Zero-Based Budgeting: Build your budget from scratch annually, justifying every expense based on expected ROI or business priorities. This approach can help to promote efficiency, but it can also introduce uncertainty and create a short-term focus.

Important Considerations:

  •  Industry Benchmarks: B2B companies often allocate 2-5% of revenue to marketing, B2C companies 5-10% according to the BDC. Startups may need to invest more to establish brand presence.
  • Growth Stage: Scaling companies may require larger investments in lead generation and brand building.

Strategic Budget Allocation: The 70/20/10 Rule

Once you have a dollar figure for your budget, the next step is to determine how you will allocate the money. Here’s a common framework that can help allocate marketing funds effectively:

  • 70% for Proven Strategies: Invest the majority of your budget in tried-and-true tactics, such as SEO, PPC, and email marketing. Whatever worked best for you last year, invest in scaling those tactics this year.
  • 20% for Emerging Channels: Dedicate resources to new opportunities, like AI-driven tools or interactive content and test these new opportunities.
  • 10% for Experiments: Test unproven ideas to discover what could become your next big success. Sometimes these are referred to as “Moonshots.”

Adapting the Rule:

While the 70/20/10 split provides a solid foundation, adjust it to align with your company’s unique priorities. For instance, an innovation-driven company might allocate more toward experimental initiatives.

Also try to build flexibility into your budget to respond to market disruptions or emerging trends.

Key Components of a Marketing Budget

There is some debate as to exactly what you should include in your marketing budget versus other areas of your overall budget. This will depend on how your company allocates expenses like staffing and R&D, but here are a few essential components to consider:

  • Digital Marketing: Content creation, SEO, PPC, email campaigns, and social media.
  • Traditional Marketing: Trade shows, direct mail, and print advertising.
  • Marketing Technology: CRM tools, analytics platforms, and marketing automation.
  • Personnel Costs: Salaries, training, and outsourced consultants.
  • Events and Sponsorships: Conferences, webinars, and community partnerships.
  • Research and Analytics: Tools to measure effectiveness and refine strategies.

Data-Driven Budget Optimization

In order to optimize your budget quarter-to-quarter and year-over-year, you have to be tracking the right financial metrics. These will depend on your unique priorities, but here are a few staples to consider.

Key Metrics to Track:

  • Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Understand how much it costs to acquire a customer.
  • Customer Lifetime Value (LTV): Ensure the value of your customers outweighs acquisition costs.
  • Campaign ROI: Measure the profitability of each marketing initiative.

Build dashboards that help you to see the results that matter most to you and continuously monitor your budget’s performance and reallocate funds from underperforming tactics to high-ROI initiatives and marketing channels.

Conclusion

Creating a marketing budget isn’t just about numbers—it’s about strategy and how you invest to bring it to life. By aligning your budget with your business objectives, tracking key metrics, and leaving room for innovation and adaption, you can transform your marketing efforts into a predictable growth engine.

Ready to take the guesswork out of your marketing budget? Book a free consultation today and let us help you create a strategy-driven budget that delivers measurable ROI.

B2B marketing channels

8 Effective B2B Marketing Channels and How to Choose the Right Ones for Your Business

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Selecting the right marketing channels is critical to the success of any B2B business. While the possibilities may seem endless, not all channels are equally effective for every company. This guide offers an in-depth exploration of eight effective B2B marketing channels, including their benefits and limitations, along with strategies to identify the best options for your business.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the cornerstone of digital marketing, enabling businesses to attract and engage high-intent audiences. By optimizing your website and content for search engines, you position your brand to appear when potential clients actively seek solutions.

Benefits:
SEO is a long-term strategy that drives organic traffic to your website. By optimizing content around targeted keywords, you can attract prospects actively searching for solutions. SEO also boosts credibility, as high-ranking pages signal authority to search engines and users alike.

Limitations:
SEO requires time and consistent effort. Results are rarely immediate, often taking months to materialize. Additionally, highly competitive industries may demand significant investment in both resources and expertise to achieve top rankings.

Example in Action:
A SaaS company might optimize its website for keywords like “project management software for teams,” coupled with content such as blogs and whitepapers to capture search intent. Over time, this effort builds domain authority and drives leads organically.

The ROI of SEO
49% of marketers report that organic search has the best ROI of any marketing channel. SEO generates an average ROI of 200% – 275% for ecommerce businesses.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a powerful strategy to attract, educate, and nurture your target audience. It’s particularly effective for B2B businesses, as buyers often seek in-depth information to inform their purchasing decisions.

Benefits:
High-quality content establishes thought leadership, builds trust, and supports other channels like SEO, email, and social media. It’s versatile, allowing repurposing for multiple platforms.

Limitations:
Producing effective content consistently requires significant time and resources. Without a clear strategy or distribution plan, content may fail to reach the intended audience.

Example in Action:
A consulting firm creates an in-depth guide on “How to Reduce Operational Costs,” which serves as a lead magnet for their email campaigns while reinforcing their expertise.

The ROI of Content Marketing
According to a study by FirstPageSage, the all-industry average ROI for content marketing is 748%. It can be challenging to measure ROI for content marketing and you need to take care to put the right analytics in place.

Social Media Marketing

While often associated with B2C companies, social media platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube are indispensable for B2B marketers. They provide opportunities to connect with decision-makers and showcase your expertise.

Benefits:
Social media provides opportunities to build brand awareness and engage directly with your audience. Platforms like LinkedIn are particularly effective for targeting decision-makers. Social media can amplify other efforts, such as sharing blog content or promoting webinars.

Limitations:
Organic reach on social platforms has declined over time, often necessitating paid ads to achieve desired visibility. Maintaining an active presence also requires consistent content creation and engagement.

Example in Action:
A manufacturing company creates an industry community group on LinkedIn and posts case studies and industry updates, fostering credibility and creating connections with prospective clients.

The ROI for Social Media
A good ROI for B2B social media marketing is 3:1 according to SocialInsider. Though that ratio will depend a lot on your platforms, your niche, and many other factors

Email Marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most direct and cost-effective channels for B2B businesses. It enables you to nurture leads, build relationships, and guide prospects through the sales funnel.

Benefits:
Email marketing remains one of the highest-ROI channels for B2B businesses. It enables direct communication with prospects and clients, personalized content delivery, and nurturing relationships over time.

Limitations:
Poorly targeted email campaigns can lead to unsubscribes and spam complaints. Success depends heavily on the quality of your contact list and the relevance of your messaging.

Example in Action:
The use cases for email are practically endless. Email can be effectively used for nurturing leads, upselling/cross-selling to clients, generating referrals, and so much more. The keys to success include segmenting, personalization, using behavioral nudges, and testing, testing, testing.

The ROI of Email Marketing
Email marketing brings in $36 for every $1 spent, according to data from Litmus. And those marketers who segment their lists report 760% better revenue that those who don’t (according to Campaign Monitor).

Webinars and Online Events

Webinars offer an interactive platform to engage potential clients and showcase your expertise. They are particularly valuable for educating prospects and nurturing leads in complex industries.

Benefits:
Webinars offer a platform to demonstrate expertise and provide value to attendees. They foster real-time interaction, making it easier to address specific audience questions and concerns. They are particularly effective for mid-funnel leads.

Limitations:
Producing high-quality webinars can be resource-intensive, requiring technical expertise, compelling content, and targeted promotion to attract attendees.

Example in Action:
A fintech company hosts a webinar on “Trends in Digital Payments,” providing actionable insights while promoting their solutions.

The ROI of Webinars and Online Events
While specific ROI figures are difficult to find, webinars and events are a powerful B2B marketing toos for generating leads, nurturing relationships, and demonstrating thought leadership. One formula provided by webinar platform Contrast is (Value Gained – Cost) / Cost x 100%.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

PPC offers a fast and scalable way to drive targeted traffic to your website. By bidding on relevant keywords, you can reach prospects actively searching for solutions. You can also use retargeting to get in front of people who’ve visited your website or taken specific actions to nurture them towards purchase.

Benefits:
PPC campaigns offer immediate visibility and can target specific audiences based on search intent or demographic factors. They’re particularly useful for testing new markets or products.

Limitations:
PPC can become expensive quickly, particularly in competitive industries. Success depends on careful management to avoid wasted spend, and performance often drops without ongoing optimization.

Example in Action:
A law firm uses Google Ads to target “corporate compliance services,” generating clicks to a dedicated landing page with a strong call to action.

The ROI of PPC
A commonly cited statistic for the ROI of PPC is 200%. This number was the result of a 2009 study and was admittedly conservative according to the author, but I could find nothing more definitive. Many, many advertisers fail to achieve even this level, though, through poor strategy and execution. PPC can be very lucrative if run correctly.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing in B2B leverages the credibility of industry experts or thought leaders to amplify your brand. This channel works particularly well for niche industries where trust is paramount. You don’t have to go after massive celebs, micro-influencers can be tremendously effective for B2B companies.

Benefits:
Partnering with industry influencers can expand your reach and establish trust quickly. Their endorsements often carry more weight than traditional advertising, especially in niche industries.

Limitations:
Finding the right influencer and measuring ROI can be challenging. Campaign success depends heavily on the influencer’s alignment with your brand values and audience. Here are some tips to manage that.

Example in Action:
An energy solutions provider collaborates with a sustainability expert to promote their services through blog posts and webinars.

The ROI of Influencer Marketing
Another tough one to nail down any average ROI numbers for, but according to the IDC, 75% of B2B buyers and 84% of executives use social media to inform purchasing decisions. If that’s true, influencers stand to play a big role in influencing your potential buyers.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

ABM is a highly targeted approach focusing on specific high-value accounts. This strategy personalizes outreach and nurtures relationships to close larger deals.

Benefits:
Account Based Marketing allows for highly personalized marketing efforts targeting high-value accounts. This approach aligns sales and marketing teams, leading to more effective prospect engagement and faster deal closures.

Limitations:
ABM is resource-intensive, requiring detailed research, tailored messaging, and close collaboration between teams. It’s best suited for businesses with longer sales cycles and larger deal sizes.

Example in Action:
A consultancy creates bespoke presentations and resources for a Fortune 500 company, addressing specific pain points and demonstrating potential ROI.

The ROI of ABM
According to Alterra Group, 97% of marketers say ABM delivers a higher return on investment than other marketing strategies. Other studies also suggest it increases the average deal size.

How to Choose the Right B2B Marketing Channels

Selecting the right channels is not about casting the widest net; it’s about focusing your efforts where they will have the most impact. That means starting with strategy. Here’s how to make informed choices:

  1. Understand Your Audience

Dive into your target personas to uncover where they spend their time and how they make decisions. For example, “Strategic Decision-Maker Sam” may rely on LinkedIn and industry webinars, while “Efficiency-Focused Ollie” might value detailed email insights.

  1. Align Channels with Goals

Prioritize channels that align with your objectives. If you’re looking to increase brand awareness, content marketing and social media might be your best bet. For lead generation, consider SEO, PPC, and webinars.

  1. Focus on Fewer Channels

Spreading resources too thin across multiple channels often leads to mediocre results. Instead, identify 2-3 channels that align most closely with your goals and audience, and invest deeply in mastering those. Once you’ve established success, consider expanding.

  1. Test and Adapt

Continuously monitor channel performance and adjust based on results. Use tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or LinkedIn Analytics to track engagement, conversions, and ROI.

Conclusion

Each of the eight B2B marketing channels discussed offers unique advantages, but their effectiveness depends on your audience, goals, and resources. By focusing on fewer, high-impact channels and executing them well, you can create a sustainable strategy that drives measurable growth.

Take the time to evaluate your current marketing efforts and consider which channels offer the greatest opportunity for improvement. From SEO to ABM, the right combination can transform your business. Start small, measure results, and build from a position of strength.

If you’re ready to identify the channels that will bring the best results to your business book a free strategy session and let’s get started.

improve account based marketing with influencers

How Influencers Are Changing Account Based Marketing (ABM)

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For many B2B companies, Account Based Marketing (ABM) promises the allure of precision targeting and measurable growth. Yet, in practice, ABM programs often fall short of expectations, leaving leaders grappling with persistent challenges.

Executives frequently face difficulty measuring ABM’s ROI, making it hard to justify continued investment. The pressure to align marketing efforts with broader business goals adds another layer of complexity, especially when results are inconsistent. Businesses struggle to create enough relevant, personalized content. And, of course, there is often the misalignment of sales and marketing KPIs.

These pain points highlight the need for innovative approaches to ABM—and influencer marketing could be the game-changer. By bringing credibility, authenticity, and reach to your ABM strategies, influencers can help overcome these challenges while amplifying your impact. This blog explores how influencer marketing is reshaping ABM and provides actionable steps to integrate it effectively.

How Influencer Marketing Addresses ABM Pain Points

Influencer marketing can be a powerful solution to many of the challenges many B2B leaders face with ABM. Once seen as a B2C tactic, influencer marketing is now reshaping ABM by amplifying its reach and impact.

By leveraging trusted voices within the industry, it enhances campaign credibility and engagement. You can track specific metrics like engagement rates, reach, and conversions attributed to influencer content. This provides more concrete data for ROI calculations.

Companies can align influencer partnerships with business goals by focusing on specific industries or decision-makers. SAP’s extensive influencer network is an example of how this strategy can be implemented effectively.

Influencers can create industry-specific content that resonates with target accounts. For example, Dell’s partnership with Walter Isaacson for the ‘Trailblazers‘ podcast demonstrates how influencer collaboration can produce valuable, tailored content for a tech-savvy audience

Additionally, influencers amplify content efficiently, reducing the strain on internal resources while supporting scalable, personalized campaigns. Together, these benefits transform influencer marketing into a critical tool for elevating ABM impact.

Let’s take a look at how your company can integrate them effectively into your ABM program (or improve your existing program).

How Influencers Are Changing the ABM Landscape

The traditional ABM approach relies heavily on data-driven targeting, tailored messaging, and collaboration between sales and marketing teams. While often effective, it’s not always enough to break through the noise or establish trust with decision-makers. Influencers add a new dimension by bringing:

  • Credibility: Influencers are often trusted thought leaders within their industries, making them uniquely positioned to validate your brand’s message.
  • Authenticity: Buyers value unbiased opinions. A recommendation from a respected influencer carries more weight than brand-led advertising.
  • Reach: Influencers can amplify your content to highly specific audiences, many of whom are unreachable through traditional methods.

A LinkedIn study found that nearly 90% of B2B buyers prefer content from trusted influencers over direct messaging from brands. This shift is driving more companies to adopt influencer marketing as a critical part of their ABM strategies (75% of B2B businesses are already using influencers according to a 2023 study by Ogilvy).

Practical Applications of Influencer Marketing in ABM

Influencers can contribute to every stage of the buyer’s journey in ABM, from awareness to decision-making. Here are some of the most effective ways companies are leveraging influencers:

  1. Content Co-Creation:
    • Collaborate with influencers to produce white papers, webinars, or blogs tailored to specific accounts. These assets position your brand as a trusted authority while showcasing the influencer’s expertise.
  2. Social Proof:
    • Influencers act as third-party validators, providing testimonials or case studies that resonate with decision-makers.
  3. Engagement and Amplification:
    • Influencers can share your content with their networks, driving higher engagement and extending your reach within target accounts.

Getting Started with Influencer Marketing in ABM

Implementing influencer marketing requires careful planning. Here’s how to begin:

  1. Identify the Right Influencers:
    • Look for individuals with:
      • Deep industry expertise.
      • Trustworthiness and strong engagement rates.
      • Networks aligned with your target accounts.
      • Size of audience is less important than engagement with their audience. Don’t dismiss micro-influencers.
  2. Build Strategic Partnerships:
    • Approach influencers with clear goals and mutually beneficial opportunities. For example, offer co-branding opportunities or exclusive access to your product.
  3. Measure Success:
    • Focus on metrics like account engagement, pipeline velocity, and content amplification rather than vanity metrics like likes or shares.

Tips to Maximize ROI with Influencer-Led ABM

  • Repurpose Content: Amplify influencer-generated content across platforms like LinkedIn, email campaigns, and landing pages to extend its lifespan.
  • Commit to Personalization: Use influencers to craft tailored messages that align with each account’s unique needs and challenges.
  • Build Long-Term Relationships: Partner with influencers for ongoing campaigns rather than one-off initiatives. Consistent collaboration builds trust and delivers sustained impact.

Conclusion

Influencer marketing is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s a powerful tool for enhancing ABM strategies. By combining the credibility and reach of influencers with the precision of ABM, companies can engage high-value accounts more effectively and authentically.

Ready to explore how influencers can take your ABM strategy to new heights? Start by identifying trusted voices in your industry and creating a plan to integrate them into your campaigns. With the right approach, you’ll not only drive results but also build lasting trust with your most important accounts.

Want to talk about how to get influencer marketing or an ABM program off the ground at your company? Book a free consultation.

Why B2B Companies Should Consider Micro-Influencer Marketing

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When I watch my kids spend time online, I’m always amazed by number of different content creators they follow and watch regularly. People I’ve never heard of that hold sway over my kids and are making a decent living doing it. Such is the world of nano- and micro-influencers.

And while these influencers are well established in the B2C world, I feel like many (but not all) B2B companies are missing opportunities.

The Hidden Opportunity Most B2B Companies Are Missing

When you think of influencer marketing, you might picture Instagram celebrities promoting fashion brands or TikTok stars advertising energy drinks. But here’s what many B2B leaders don’t realize: some of the most influential voices in professional services maintain relatively modest but highly engaged followings on platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter).

Understanding the Nano- and Micro-Influencer Marketing Landscape

Let’s break down what we mean by nano- and micro-influencers:

  • Nano-influencers: Industry experts with under 5,000 followers
  • Micro-influencers: Respected voices with 5,000-100,000 followers

What makes these smaller influencers particularly valuable for B2B companies? The data tells a compelling story:

  • Nano-influencers achieve an average engagement rate of 4.59%
  • Micro-influencers see engagement rates of 2.59%
  • In contrast, macro-influencers only manage 1.44% 

The Business Case for B2B Micro-Influencer Marketing

For B2B service providers, three key benefits stand out:

  1. Higher Trust and Credibility

Because they are working with smaller audiences, these influencers tend to have a closer relationship and higher level of trust with their audience than macro-influencers. In the B2B space, where purchase decisions often involve significant investment and risk, this trusted expertise is invaluable.

Micro-influencers also have a 20% higher conversion rate compared to macro-influencers in e-commerce. This suggests that their followers are more likely to act on their recommendations, indicating a high level of trust.

  1. Cost-Effective Lead Generation

Compared to traditional advertising or larger influencers, nano- and micro-influencer partnerships typically require lower investment while delivering higher engagement rates. This makes them particularly attractive for small- and mid-sized companies looking to optimize their marketing spend.

  1. Precision Targeting

These influencers often maintain focused audiences within specific industries or professional niches. This allows B2B companies to reach decision-makers with remarkable precision.

Real-World Success Stories

While B2C examples like Daniel Wellington and Airbnb are well-known, B2B companies are also seeing success working with these smaller influencers:

  • Adobe has successfully implemented a B2B influencer marketing strategy with their #AdobeInsiders program. Influencers create blog posts and engage across social media platforms to showcase Adobe’s solutions.
  • Miro, a digital whiteboard platform, successfully utilized micro-influencers to promote its user-created template library, Miroverse. This campaign led to increased traffic to Miroverse and higher user engagement with the platform.

Implementing a B2B Micro-Influencer Strategy

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Identify Your Niche Experts

  • Look for professionals who regularly share insights about your industry
  • Focus on those who engage meaningfully with their followers
  • Consider both their expertise and their communication style

  1. Build Authentic Relationships

  • Engage with their content before proposing collaboration
  • Focus on mutual value creation
  • Start small and scale based on results

  1. Measure What Matters

  • Track engagement rates and quality of interactions
  • Monitor lead generation and conversion metrics
  • Assess impact on brand authority and market positioning

Navigating the Challenges

While the opportunity is significant, there are some considerations to keep in mind:

  • Reach vs. Impact: Individual influencers may have smaller audiences, but their impact on decision-makers can be substantial as long as you make sure your ideal client profiles are among their audience
  • Management Overhead: Working with multiple smaller influencers requires careful coordination and may require more overhead than a smaller number of macro-influencers
  • Finding the Right Fit: Identifying influencers who truly understand your B2B service offering takes time

Tools for Finding B2B Influencers

There are a number of tools that can help you identify the right influencers for your business. Here are a few (both paid and free):

  • Modash – Modash offers a searchable influencer database for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube creators with 1,000+ followers.
  • SparkToro – SparkToro was co-created by MOZ founder Rand Fishkin and is an audience research tool allowing you to find out where your target audience spends time online.
  • Influencer Analytics from SEMRush – this is an add-on module for SEMRush subscribers that allows you to filter influencers by category, subscriber count, and price range.
  • inBeat.co – This service has a searchable database of Instagram and TikTok influencers

There are many others out there and you can even do your own research by using Google and the social networks you want to find influencers on.

Remember, as with any marketing strategy, success lies in careful planning, consistent execution, and regular measurement of results.

Need help developing a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes influencer partnerships? Book a free strategy session to learn how we can help you create predictable growth through proven marketing systems.

create a core marketing message to stand out from the competition

Create a Killer Core Marketing Message in 5 Steps

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Is there something that’s just not clicking with your marketing? You’ve probably invested in ads, social media, and maybe even SEO. Yet, despite your efforts, you still find it hard to stand out from competitors and attract your ideal clients. If this sounds familiar, the missing piece might not be a new tactic, but a clear core marketing message.

Your core message is more than just a tagline. It’s the heart of what your business represents, and it directly impacts how your audience perceives you. Let’s explore how defining this key marketing message can help you cut through the noise, connect with your ideal customers, and give your business a competitive edge.

What is a Core Marketing Message?

A core marketing message communicates the essence of your brand in a way that resonates with your audience. It should address the specific problems your business solves and highlight why you are the best choice. This isn’t just about what you sell—it’s about how you meet the needs of your ideal customers better than anyone else – and it needs to be the value they see, not what you think.

An effective marketing message grabs attention, builds trust, and encourages action. It’s a promise that speaks directly to the pain points of your target audience and assures them that you offer the solution they’ve been searching for.

But how do you craft a message that not only captures attention but keeps it?

Step 1: Identify the Problems You Solve for Your Customers

Every strong marketing message starts with a deep understanding of the customer. Too often, businesses focus on the features of their products or services rather than the problems they solve. This is a mistake. Your customers aren’t looking for a product—they’re looking for a solution to their problem. And it may not be the problem you think it is.

The first step is to dig deep into the pain points of your audience. Ask yourself:

  • What problems are they struggling with?
  • How does your product or service offer a solution to these problems?
  • Why are you uniquely qualified to solve these issues?

Pro Tip: If you really want to know why your customers like doing business with you pick up the phone and ask them. Call up your ideal customers (more on how to identify them later) and ask them questions like “why did you choose us?”; “why do you stay with us?”; “what do we do that others don’t?”; “what problem were you trying to solve?”

By aligning your marketing message with the specific needs and challenges of your target audience, you begin to differentiate yourself in a way that speaks directly to them. This makes your message relevant and powerful.

For example, at Good Ideas Marketing, we help small and medium businesses in B2B services install a proven digital marketing system that grows their business predictably. Our core message focuses on solving the problem of uncertainty in marketing by providing a structured, systematic, strategy-first approach.

Step 2: Know Your Ideal Customer Inside and Out

A core message is most effective when it’s tailored to a specific audience. Before you can write a message that resonates, you need to know who you’re talking to. Identifying your ideal customer is key to narrowing your focus and speaking directly to those who will benefit most from your offerings.

Here are a few steps to define your ideal customer:

  1. Analyze your top clients: Look at your best customers in terms of profitability, loyalty, and referrals. What characteristics do they share?
  2. Create customer personas: Build profiles that outline the demographics, goals, pain points, and behaviors of your ideal customer.
  3. Understand their journey: Map out how your ideal customer discovers, interacts with, and eventually chooses your product or service. There are seven stages they will go through: know, like, trust, try, buy, repeat, and refer. More on that process here.

At Good Ideas Marketing, we often work with CEOs of B2B service companies who need predictable growth without overspending. They are typically frustrated by past marketing efforts that didn’t deliver results. We understand this pain, which allows us to craft a key marketing message that speaks to their desire for consistent, measurable growth.

Step 3: Focus on What Makes You Different

One of the most important elements of your core message is differentiation. In a crowded marketplace, being “good” isn’t enough—you need to show your audience why you’re different and better. This is where many businesses struggle because it can be hard to see what truly sets you apart.

To find your unique selling point (USP):

  • Look at your competitors: What are they saying, and what competitive gaps can you fill?
  • Identify your strengths: What do you do better than anyone else? Is it your customer service, your innovative approach, or perhaps the simplicity of your process?
  • Focus on value, not features: Instead of talking about what you do, talk about why it matters. How does your solution improve your customers’ lives or businesses?
  • Call your ideal customers and ask: I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating. Find out what they REALLY like about doing business with you in their own words (because those are the same words others like them will use).

When I do this for clients I will call or meet with 5-10 of their ideal customers and ask them a series of questions that often pinpoints something they had no idea was important to their clients.

Step 4: Craft a Clear and Compelling Message

Once you’ve identified the problems you solve, defined your ideal customer, and established your differentiation, it’s time to craft your core message. A good core marketing message should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should tell your audience:

  1. Who you are
  2. What you do
  3. Who you do it for
  4. Why they should choose you

Here’s a simple template to follow:

At [Company Name], we help [Ideal Customer] who struggle with [Specific Problem] by providing [Unique Solution]. Unlike [Competitors], we [Differentiator], which means [Benefit to Customer].

Make sure your core marketing message is simple enough for anyone to understand, but impactful enough to resonate with your target audience.

Step 5: Test and Refine Your Message

Once you’ve crafted your core marketing message, the work isn’t over. Your message needs to be tested and refined based on feedback and results. This is an ongoing process, especially as your business evolves and market conditions change.

Start by testing your message in small ways:

  • Website headlines: Does the message make visitors want to learn more?
  • Social media posts: Do people engage with the content that features your core message?
  • Email campaigns: Does your message lead to more clicks or conversions?

Collect data, ask for feedback, and tweak your message until it truly resonates with your audience. Remember, an effective marketing message evolves over time, and the best messages are those that are continuously improved.

Why Your Core Marketing Message Matters More Than Ever

In today’s digital marketing landscape, customers are bombarded with choices. They’re not just looking for a product or service—they’re looking for a brand they can trust, a company that understands their needs, and a partner that will help them succeed. Your core marketing message is what connects you to your audience in a meaningful way.

By identifying the specific problems you solve, focusing on your ideal customer, and clearly communicating what makes you different, you can build a marketing message that not only captures attention but leads to long-term loyalty and growth.

At Good Ideas Marketing, we believe that a well-defined core message is the foundation of every successful marketing strategy. Whether you’re looking to clarify your positioning or take control of your growth, defining your core message is the first step to standing out in a crowded market.

Ready to stand out in your market? Book a Free Consultation to develop your unique core message and start attracting your ideal customers today.

Strategy First: the key to effective B2B marketing strategy

The Power of Strategy First: Why Tactics Without Strategy Fail

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When trying to grow your business, it can be tempting to jump straight into action. After all, isn’t a bias for action a good thing?

You see a competitor’s successful social media campaign and think, “We need to do that too!” Or you hear about the latest marketing trend and feel compelled to try it immediately. But here’s the hard truth: tactics without strategy are like arrows without a target. They might look impressive in flight, but they rarely hit the mark.

That’s why I’m a big fan of taking a “Strategy First” approach. That’s a term coined by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing (full disclosure, I’m a certified DTM consultant). This approach just gets better results.

The Costly Mistake of “Tactics First”

Many businesses, especially in the B2B sector, fall into the trap of implementing tactics without a solid marketing strategy. They might invest in Facebook ads, start a blog, or attend trade shows, all without a clear understanding of how these activities fit into their overall business goals. The result? Wasted time, squandered budgets, and frustration when these random efforts fail to deliver the desired results.

Consider this scenario: A B2B software company decides to invest heavily in content marketing because they’ve heard it’s effective. They hire writers, publish blog posts regularly, and even create a few whitepapers. But after six months, they’re not seeing any significant increase in leads or sales. Why? Because they didn’t start with a strategy.

They may have been using the right tools, but they were using them incorrectly or to accomplish the wrong thing. Their content was focused on the wrong pain points and not showing up in the places where their ideal clients would discover it.

The Power of “Strategy First”

A well-defined marketing strategy is your roadmap to success. It’s the foundation upon which all your marketing tactics should be built. When you adopt a “Strategy First” approach, you’re not just throwing tactics at the wall to see what sticks. Instead, you’re making informed decisions based on a deep understanding of your business, your market, and your customers.

Here’s what a “Strategy First” approach looks like in action:

1. Define Your Ideal Customer: Before you can effectively market to anyone, you need to know exactly who you’re trying to reach. In B2B marketing, this means creating detailed buyer personas that go beyond basic demographics to understand your customers’ goals, challenges, fears, aspirations, and decision-making processes.

2. Identify Your Unique Value Proposition: What makes your business different from all the others in your space? Your strategy should clearly articulate why a customer should choose you over your competitors.

3. Set Clear, Measurable Goals: What do you want your marketing efforts to achieve? Increased brand awareness? More qualified leads? Higher customer retention? Your strategy should outline specific, measurable objectives.

4. Choose the Right Channels: Based on your ideal customer profile and goals, determine which marketing channels are most likely to reach and resonate with your audience.

5. Create a Content Plan: Develop a content strategy that aligns with your overall marketing strategy, addressing your customers’ pain points and guiding them through the buyer’s journey.

6. Implement, Measure, and Adjust: With your strategy in place, you can now implement tactics with purpose, measure their effectiveness against your goals, and make data-driven adjustments.

The Results of Strategy-First Marketing

When you lead with strategy, the benefits are clear and measurable:

  • Improved ROI: By focusing your efforts on the most effective channels and tactics for your specific business and audience, you’ll see a better return on your marketing investment.
  • Consistency Across Channels: A solid strategy ensures that your messaging and branding are consistent, whether a potential customer encounters you on social media, at a trade show, or through a cold email.
  • Better Resource Allocation: With a clear strategy, you can allocate your time, money, and human resources more effectively, focusing on the activities that are most likely to drive results.
  • Predictable Growth: When your tactics are aligned with a well-thought-out strategy, you’re more likely to see consistent, predictable growth rather than sporadic wins and losses.

Implementing Strategy First in Your Business

Ready to transform your B2B marketing with a “Strategy First” approach? Here are some steps to get started:

1. Conduct a Marketing Audit: Evaluate your current marketing efforts. What’s working? What’s not? Where are you spending your resources?

2. Research Your Market and Competitors: Gain a deep understanding of your industry, target market, and what your competitors are doing.

3. Define Your Brand: Clarify your brand’s mission, values, and unique selling points.

4. Create Your Marketing Strategy: Based on your audit, research, and brand definition, develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that outlines your goals, target audience, key messages, and chosen marketing channels.

5. Align Your Team: Ensure that everyone in your organization understands and is aligned with your marketing strategy.

6. Implement Tactically: With your strategy in place, you can now confidently implement tactics that support your overall goals.

7. Monitor and Adjust: Regularly review your results against your strategic goals and be prepared to make data-driven adjustments.

Strategy Development in B2B Marketing

B2B marketing presents unique challenges and opportunities when developing a marketing strategy. Unlike B2C marketing, B2B often involves longer sales cycles, multiple decision-makers, and more complex products or services. Your strategy must account for these factors:

Content Marketing: In B2B marketing, educational content is crucial. Your strategy should include plans for creating in-depth whitepapers, case studies, and industry reports that showcase your expertise and provide value to potential clients.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM): For many B2B companies, a small number of high-value clients can make up a large portion of revenue. Your strategy might include ABM tactics to target and nurture these key accounts.

Relationship Building: B2B marketing is often about building long-term relationships. Your strategy should outline how you’ll nurture leads over time, even if they’re not ready to buy immediately.

Industry Events and Networking: While digital marketing is important, many B2B deals still happen through personal connections. Your strategy should consider how to leverage industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities.

The Path to Predictable Growth

The “Strategy First” approach is not just a nice-to-have – it’s a necessity for businesses that want to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. By taking the time to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy before diving into tactics, you set your business up for sustainable, predictable growth.

Remember, marketing tactics are tools, but strategy is the skilled hand that wields them. When you lead with strategy, you’re not just marketing – you’re marketing with purpose, precision, and power.

Are you ready to transform your B2B marketing with a “Strategy First” approach? It’s time to stop wasting resources on random tactics and start building a marketing machine that drives real, measurable results for your business.

Discover how Good Ideas Marketing can help you develop a winning B2B marketing strategy

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Ready to take your B2B marketing to the next level? Download our free “7 Steps to Marketing Success” to start building your strategic foundation today!

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B2B marketing trends from TikTok to AI

B2B Marketing Trends from TikTok to AI

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So much is happening in the realm of B2B marketing. It can be difficult to keep up and even more difficult to know which new trends make sense for your business and which are just noise.

In this post we’re going to breakdown 10 B2B marketing trends that we believe have the potential to make a huge impact on the effectiveness of today’s B2B marketing programs.

AI-Driven Personalization: The New Standard in B2B Marketing

Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved beyond being a buzzword—it’s now a fundamental component of modern B2B marketing strategy. AI-driven personalization allows businesses to deliver tailored experiences that resonate deeply with each customer segment. By analyzing vast amounts of data in real-time, AI can determine the exact needs of potential clients, making interactions more relevant and increasing the likelihood of conversion.

According to McKinsey, businesses that leverage AI in their B2B marketing campaigns can see a revenue increase of up to 15%. For B2B service companies, this could translate into significant growth, particularly when competing in markets where personalization is expected. AI doesn’t just optimize campaigns; it transforms them by ensuring that every touchpoint is meaningful, ultimately enhancing customer loyalty and lifetime value.

Video Marketing: Engaging B2B Audiences Like Never Before

Video content continues to rise as one of the most effective tools in B2B digital marketing. Video is not just about storytelling; it’s about engaging B2B audiences with concise, impactful messages that drive action. Whether through explainer videos, product demos, or customer testimonials, video content has proven to increase engagement rates significantly.

Wistia reports that 92% of marketers who use video say it’s an essential part of their strategy, with many crediting it for increased dwell time and lead generation. For C-suite executives, incorporating video into a broader B2B marketing strategy is crucial. Not only does it enhance brand visibility, but it also improves SEO rankings and drives organic traffic. In a time-starved world, video provides the quickest path to connect with decision-makers who need information fast.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Precision Targeting for Maximum ROI

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) remains a cornerstone of effective B2B marketing strategy, particularly for companies targeting high-value accounts. ABM focuses on creating highly personalized campaigns for individual accounts, ensuring that marketing efforts are directly aligned with the needs of key decision-makers. This level of precision not only increases the efficiency of marketing spend but also significantly boosts ROI.

Research by ITSMA shows that 87% of B2B marketers say ABM delivers higher ROI than any other type of marketing. By tailoring content and outreach to the specific pain points and goals of targeted accounts, ABM transforms marketing from a broad-based effort into a targeted strategic initiative that drives results. For B2B services companies, adopting or refining an ABM approach will be crucial for retaining existing clients and attracting new high-value customers.

Conversational Content: Building Authentic Connections

The tone and style of B2B content marketing are shifting dramatically. Gone are the days of overly formal, jargon-heavy language. Today’s B2B buyers—many of whom are digital natives—prefer a conversational tone that feels more like a dialogue than a sales pitch. This trend reflects a broader shift towards authenticity in B2B marketing.

Research indicates that B2B buyers are 2.8 times more likely to consider a brand if they feel a personal connection to it. By adopting a conversational style, businesses can break down barriers, making their content more accessible and engaging. This approach doesn’t just apply to blog posts or emails; it’s also effective in video scripts, chatbots, and social media interactions. For executives, embracing conversational content is a strategic move to humanize the brand and foster stronger customer relationships.

SEO Adaptation to AI and Voice Search: Navigating the New Search Landscape

As AI continues to integrate into search engines, and voice search becomes more prevalent, the landscape of SEO is rapidly changing. Optimizing content for voice search and AI-driven algorithms is not optional—it’s essential. Traditional SEO strategies are evolving, with a greater emphasis on long-tail keywords and natural language processing to capture voice search queries.

According to research, 40% of adults use voice search daily. For B2B companies, this means adapting SEO strategies to ensure that content is discoverable through these new modalities. This includes optimizing for conversational keywords, structuring content to answer direct questions, and ensuring that websites are technically equipped to handle voice queries. Staying ahead in SEO will require continuous adaptation and a keen understanding of emerging technologies.

Paid Media and PPC Evolution: More Competition, Higher Stakes

With the increased competition in digital advertising, B2B companies are finding that they need to invest more in paid media to maintain visibility. The cost of PPC campaigns is expected to rise as more companies bid aggressively on high-intent keywords. This trend is driven by the saturation of search engine results pages (SERPs), where only the most optimized and well-funded campaigns will thrive.

Google’s introduction of AI-enhanced features in SERPs is changing the dynamics of paid search. Companies must now be more strategic in their bidding and campaign management to ensure that their ads reach the right audience at the right time. For B2B executives, this means re-evaluating PPC strategies, focusing on maximizing ROI through smarter bidding tactics, and exploring alternative platforms where competition might be less intense but equally effective.

Community Building: The Power of B2B Networks

In the increasingly digital world of B2B marketing, community building is emerging as a powerful tool for engagement and loyalty. Creating and nurturing online communities allows companies to foster deeper relationships with customers and prospects, turning them into advocates for the brand. These communities provide a space for valuable exchanges of ideas, peer support, and user-generated content, all of which contribute to a stronger brand presence.

According to Gartner, 70% of B2B buyers now expect companies to have a community-based approach. For C-suite executives, investing in community-building initiatives can provide long-term benefits, including enhanced customer retention and valuable insights into customer needs and behaviors. These communities also serve as a rich source of first-party data, which is becoming increasingly important as privacy regulations tighten.

Inclusivity and Diversity: Marketing for a Global Audience

Inclusivity and diversity are not just social imperatives—they are strategic business decisions that resonate with today’s global audience. B2B companies that embrace inclusivity in their marketing efforts are better positioned to connect with a diverse customer base and outperform competitors. This includes creating content that is accessible to all, regardless of abilities, cultural backgrounds, or gender.

A report by McKinsey shows that companies with diverse teams are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry median. For B2B service companies, incorporating diversity into marketing strategies not only broadens their appeal but also reflects positively on the brand’s values and corporate responsibility. This trend extends to everything from website design to the language used in marketing materials, ensuring that all potential clients feel valued and included.

TikTok as a B2B Channel: Engaging the Next Generation of Decision-Makers

TikTok is no longer just a platform for entertainment—it’s rapidly becoming a viable channel for B2B marketing, especially as younger generations enter leadership roles. With its short-form video content, TikTok offers a unique way to engage with audiences, providing educational content in a format that resonates with today’s decision-makers.

Research by MarketingCharts shows that 50% of TikTok’s audience is over the age of 30, making it an increasingly relevant platform for B2B companies. For executives, exploring TikTok as part of a broader B2B marketing strategy can open new avenues for reaching prospects who might not be as active on traditional platforms like LinkedIn. The key is to create content that is both informative and engaging, leveraging the platform’s algorithm to reach the right audience.

Generative AI and Content Creation: Revolutionizing B2B Marketing

AI is so all-encompassing we’ve got it on this list twice, bookending our list of B2B marketing trends. Generative AI is transforming the way content is created and distributed in B2B marketing. These advanced AI tools can generate personalized content at scale, tailoring messages to individual customer segments with a level of precision that was previously unimaginable. This trend is set to revolutionize content marketing by making it more efficient and effective.

According to a study by Accenture, companies that use generative AI for content creation can reduce their content production costs by up to 50% while improving the relevance and engagement of their content.

While AI content takes a lot of flak for poor writing, these tools are getting more and more sophisticated and we’re getting better and better at engineering prompts to get better output. To ignore this opportunity would be a risk.

For B2B service leaders, incorporating generative AI into their content strategy can provide a competitive edge, enabling them to deliver high-quality content that meets the specific needs of their audience. This not only enhances customer engagement but also drives higher conversion rates. That said, you still need humans driving the strategy and making sure the content you are creating is useful and that you’re not just churning out volume to fill a channel.

Navigating the Future of B2B Marketing

The B2B marketing landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, driven by advancements in technology, changing consumer behaviors, and the need for greater personalization. For C-suite executives at B2B service companies, staying ahead of these trends is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. By embracing AI-driven personalization, leveraging video marketing, refining ABM strategies, and exploring new platforms like TikTok, leaders can ensure their marketing efforts are not only effective but also future-proof.

If you’d like to talk about how some of these trends could be used to reduce customer churn and scale your business, let’s chat. Book a call, or email me at michael@goodideasmarketing.com

Stop Talking About Yourself

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Your website would be a lot better – as in bring you more new business – if it talked less about you. In fact, pretty much everything you put out into the universe (from a business perspective) would be more effective if you dialled back the “me”.

Most B2B businesses I see could be attracting so many more ideal clients if they just talked less about themselves. Nobody cares. I’m sorry, they just don’t.

What they do want to know is how will you help them solve their problem – and that starts with showing them that you understand the problem in the first place.

When someone has identified that they have a problem, the first thing they do is go out and try to find out who can help them solve that problem. This is their research phase. In this phase, they’re looking for providers who clearly understand what that problem is and who can show they have solved it for others like them.

This is early stage. They may not know how much value all of your many credentials, experience, etc., etc. provides. You can explain that later, but first you need to let them know you understand where they are coming from – and what life could be like once they solve that problem.

There is research that shows that B2B buyers are 70% of the way through their buying process before they contact a vendor. That comes from a study by 6sense. That same study found that buyers make the initial contact 83% of the time (after they’ve narrowed things down to a small number of potential vendors).

When you add to that 62% of B2B buyers start their research with a web search (Half Past Nine) it’s starts to become pretty clear that your website needs to be focusing on the client’s problem right up front to even make it into the consideration set.

So, how do you know exactly what you need to be saying to engage your potential buyers and get your name on their shortlist? My recommendation is to talk to them. Pick up the phone and call them. Ask them why they chose you. What the problem was that they were trying to solve. And listen to language they use to describe it.

Use that to inform your core messaging and get it above the fold on your website.

Now, calling customers takes some effort. To make the most of these interviews, focus your outreach on your ideal customers. The ones you want more of. Typically your most profitable clients that are the best to work with. If they refer you business, even better.

Here are some resources to help you.

All of this is about starting with strategy to build a plan that attracts and converts more of your ideal clients by focusing more on them and less on you.

If you’d like learn how I’ve used this approach to help businesses like yours achieve predictable growth (and how this can work for you) book a free strategy session and let’s talk.

stopping customer churn

Stopping Customer Churn and Creating Loyal Customers

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Customers are the lifeblood of any thriving business, and retaining them is paramount for sustained growth, profitability, and long-term success. Customer churn is the enemy of predictable growth, hindering a company’s ability to scale effectively.

Research by Bain & Company reveals that a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a staggering 25% to 95% boost in profits. So, how do you stop that customer churn and tap into some of that upside? That’s what we’re going to dig into in this post.

1. Analyze why customer churn occurs

Before you can fix it, you need to know why it’s happening. Customer churn can stem from many factors, including poor customer service experiences, perceived lack of value in products or services, more attractive competitor offerings, changes in customer needs or budget constraints, and ineffective customer onboarding or support processes.

A study by Harvard Business Review revealed the impact of poor service, accounting for a whopping 58% of customer defections. To combat churn effectively, businesses must first conduct a thorough analysis to identify the specific reasons behind customer attrition by leveraging customer feedback, behavior patterns, data analytics, and other relevant insights.

Poor customer service accounts for 58% of customer churn

An exercise we use with clients to understand churn and also understand their ideal clients better, is to actually pick up the phone and call them. This direct and immediate feedback will tell you what’s causing your customer churn.

2. Instilling a customer-centric mindset company-wide

Cultivating a genuine customer-centric culture is fundamental to reducing churn rates and fostering long-term loyalty.

This customer-first mindset should permeate every aspect of the organization, from product development and marketing to sales and customer support. Empowering employees to prioritize customer needs, fostering open communication channels, and aligning company goals with customer satisfaction can foster an environment where customers feel truly valued and appreciated

3. Implementing personalized communication strategies

Connecting on a personal level with your customers can go a long way to retaining them.

I use a tool with customers called The Marketing Hourglass, created by John Jantsch, to map the buyer’s journey that includes what happens after someone becomes a customer. By understanding the ways you might come in contact with a customer during after purchase and what questions they may have allows you to build experiences that will reduce churn and increase referrals.

marketing plan for small business

Source: Duct Tape Marketing

4. Utilizing customer feedback for continuous improvement

Actively soliciting and acting on customer feedback is essential for continuous improvement, enhancing the customer experience, and increasing loyalty over time.

According to a Microsoft study, an overwhelming 96% of customers cite customer service as a critical factor in their decision to remain loyal to a brand. Implementing robust feedback loops, conducting regular surveys, and meticulously analyzing customer interactions can help identify pain points, areas for improvement, and emerging trends, enabling businesses to drive positive changes that resonate deeply with their customer base.

5. Creating loyalty programs to incentivize repeat business

Well-designed loyalty programs can be remarkably effective in incentivizing customers to continue doing business with a company, reducing the likelihood of churn, and fostering a sense of value and appreciation.

Loyalty programs can increase revenue 15-25%

McKinsey & Company found that loyalty programs can increase revenue by 15-25%. Rewards, discounts, exclusive offerings, tier-based benefits, and other incentives can encourage customers to remain loyal, driving repeat business and long-term relationships.

6. Enhancing the customer experience to increase retention rates

Delivering an exceptional, consistently superior customer experience is paramount for retaining customers, fostering loyalty, and driving sustainable growth.

A study by Temkin Group revealed that companies earning $1 billion annually can expect to generate an additional $700 million in revenue over three years by investing in strategic customer experience improvements.

Businesses should focus on simplifying processes, providing seamless interactions across channels, leveraging technology to personalize touchpoints, and consistently exceeding customer expectations at every stage of the customer journey.

7. Leveraging technology for effective customer retention management

Technology can play a pivotal role in enhancing customer retention efforts. Robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, advanced analytics tools, and intelligent automation can help businesses track customer interactions, identify at-risk customers, predict churn patterns, and trigger personalized outreach or retention campaigns promptly and efficiently.

8. Building long-term customer partnerships through strategic account management

For B2B businesses operating in complex, high-value markets, strategic account management can be a powerful tool for building long-term customer partnerships, fostering trust, and minimizing churn risk.

By assigning dedicated account managers, businesses can proactively address customer needs, foster closer collaborative relationships, and create tailored solutions that consistently deliver value and drive customer success.

9. Identifying and analyzing key customer retention metrics

To effectively manage customer retention and inform data-driven decision-making, businesses must identify and consistently track key the right performance indicators and metrics.

Metrics may vary by company, but they include customer churn rate, customer lifetime value (CLV), net promoter score (NPS), and customer effort score (CES), among others.

Whatever metrics you choose, regularly analyzing them can help you identify emerging trends, pain points, and opportunities for improvement, allowing you to continually refine and optimize your retention strategies for maximum impact.

Conclusion

Implementing these strategies requires a concerted, organization-wide effort and a genuine commitment to putting customers first. By fostering a customer-centric culture, leveraging data and technology, and consistently delivering exceptional experiences, businesses can effectively reduce customer churn, build lasting relationships, and foster a loyal customer base that drives sustainable growth and profitability.

However, it’s important to note that customer retention efforts should be tailored to the specific needs, behaviors, and preferences of a company’s unique customer base. A one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be effective, as different industries, market segments, and customer profiles may require nuanced strategies and tactics. Businesses must continuously gather insights, test hypotheses, and iterate based on real-world performance data to maximize the effectiveness of their retention initiatives.

If you’d like to discuss your customer churn issues, book a free strategy session.